“It’s finding what challenges you enough to release those catecholamines—the stress chemicals that drive the benefits,” Bosomworth says. “Research recommends aiming for around 11 minutes in total per week for metabolic benefits as that’s where you start seeing meaningful brown fat activation. You can break that up into what works for you and your schedule–perhaps daily 90-second sessions or longer 3-5 minute dips a few times weekly. At colder temperatures below 41°F (5°C), even 1-2 minutes triggers a significant stress response.”
Personalize Your Plunge
When it comes to how long you cold plunge for, Bosomworth recommends going colder for shorter, or warmer for longer. For beginners, 30 second cold showers that build up to two minutes can help, although they’re not essential. “Once the cold water starts to feel manageable, move to a cold bath around 50°F (10°C) for a minute or two or what feels right,” he says. “Only then should you introduce ice.”
Also, think about why you’re cold plunging. If you’re just after a mood boost, 30 seconds of cold water is adequate. Exercise recovery can be accomplished in around two minutes. If you’re working on your mental resilience, you might want to try even longer.
If you’re working on your mental resilience, Bosomworth highlights a concept called “counting walls”, which was popularized by Dr. Andrew Huberman, the Stanford professor and popular podcaster.
Your mental walls are the waves of adrenaline that tell you that getting into a freezing bath is a really bad idea. Instead of watching the clock, you can count how many times you traverse a wall and stay in the tub. “Each surge of catecholamines is a wall and you might aim for three or four walls in a session,” says Bosomworth. “This personalizes the practice, as on some days you hit a wall immediately, other days it takes longer.”
How Cold Should My Cold Plunge Be?
Courtesy of Brass Monkey
Temperatures for cold plunging can range from 32°F to 68 °F (0°C to 20°C). What temperature you use depends on your goal, if you want a refreshing dip or more intense post-workout recovery.
Some of the latest premium ice baths come with dedicated filters that allow you to control the temperature. It can be hard to control the temperature of your ice bath if you just have an inflatable ice bath in your yard.
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